Opening side windows for cockpits are known. These windows, which can be maneuvered from inside the aircraft, form openings having very useful functions.
In particular, they constitute emergency exits, ventilation of the cockpit for evacuating smoke in the event of fire, or even provide a simple means of seeing the runway in the event of lack of visibility, for example due to a dirty front window.
There is also known a cockpit window comprising a fixed pane on a rigid frame, itself connected to the structure by a locking mechanism capable of immobilizing the window, relative to the surrounding structure of the aircraft, in open, closed or half-closed position.
All maneuvers of the window can be accomplished with a single handle. Thus, from his seat, the pilot or copilot presses on an unlocking button of the handle, turns it then pulls it backward to retract the opening assembly formed by the pane, its rigid frame and its mechanism.
This assembly is then guided in movement by a lower rail and an upper rail, which are an integral part of the cockpit structure. For this purpose, the window mechanism is linked to the bottom of these rails by way of at least three rollers. Each of these rollers, completed by a set of rollers linked to the internal rims of the rails, is carried by a carriage forming a bogie.
However, it is observed not only that the adjustment of these bogies is complex, this task being time-consuming, but also that these bogies show relatively rapid wear, necessitating maintenance interventions by qualified operators, which operations are costly.
Furthermore, this mechanism is provided with two hangers placed above the upper post of the rigid frame of the pane, and two other hangers connected to the bogies moving in the lower rail. These hangers make it possible to absorb the high-energy impact of a bird strike on the window by transferring the forces created by this strike to the surrounding structure of the cockpit. The opening assembly is also maintained in closed position by virtue of an interference principle of the supports of the bogies.
This interference principle is indispensable to proper operation of the opening assembly. In fact, in addition to this function of maintaining the opening assembly in closed position, it constitutes an additional safety factor in the event of a bird strike. Under the effect of a strike, extra locking of the opening assembly is achieved, the opening assembly then having a tendency to become locked rather than unlocked.
Nevertheless, this interference principle has disadvantages, especially in terms of adjustments (clearances, compression of the seal of the periphery of the opening assembly, etc.).
It is also observed that the rear post of the rigid frame of the window has been considerably thickened by reason of the position of the hangers, in order to be able to withstand the impact of a bird strike.
This system for immobilization of the opening assembly, because of the number of parts that it requires and the resulting thickening of the movable frame, can therefore be improved as regards the total weight of the window equipped therewith.
During release of the opening assembly, a first translational movement of this assembly caused by the rotation of the handle is achieved by virtue of a conrod drive system and a universal transmission in the upper part of the opening assembly.
It is certainly known that these universal joints, which assure the mechanical transmission, have several disadvantages, especially in terms of space requirement and weight.
The present invention aims to address these diverse disadvantages by proposing an aircraft cockpit window wherein the novel design makes it possible to solve the technical problems caused by the prior art windows.
Consequently, the invention aims at an opening window for the cockpit of an aircraft, simple in its design and in its mode of operation, robust and having a smaller space inside requirement while assuring a significant reduction in weight compared with prior art cockpit opening windows.
It also permits manual opening in less than ten seconds for use as an emergency exit, without assistance from any other energy source, such as pyrotechnics. Finally, this window withstands bird strikes.